Mid-Week Tech News Roundup – July 7th to July 11th 2025
08 Jul, 20256 minutesZopa Bank to Launch New Manchester Hub as It Expands Across the UKDigital bank Zopa has...
Zopa Bank to Launch New Manchester Hub as It Expands Across the UK
Digital bank Zopa has announced plans to open a new regional office in Manchester this August, aiming to grow the site to over 500 staff as part of its wider UK expansion strategy.
Founded in 2005, Zopa was an early pioneer in peer-to-peer lending before becoming a fully licensed UK bank in 2020 under CEO Jaidev Janardana. Today it serves 1.5 million customers nationwide.
The new Manchester hub will launch with an initial team of 50 covering product, engineering, and operations roles, with space to expand significantly in the years ahead. Zopa says the move will help it get closer to its mostly non-London customer base while tapping into Manchester’s strong pipeline of tech and financial services talent.
“With over 85% of our customers living outside the capital, expanding into Manchester brings us closer to the people we serve and gives us access to brilliant new talent to accelerate our growth,” said Iain Kendrick, Chief People Officer.
The opening comes as Zopa prepares to move into a larger London HQ later this year, doubling its office footprint. Local leaders welcomed the news as another boost for Manchester’s reputation as a hub for fintech innovation and skilled tech talent.
Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said the move “further bolsters our international standing as an important centre for fintech.” Joe Manning, MD of inward investment agency MIDAS, added that Zopa’s arrival “shows how our city-region has become a magnet for leading fintech businesses looking to scale.”
Zopa’s Manchester site is expected to open its doors in August 2025.
Manchester Cybersecurity Firm usecure Takes First Funding to Fuel Global Growth
Manchester-based cybersecurity company usecure has secured its first major investment nine years after launch, marking a turning point for the bootstrapped business as it eyes rapid global expansion.
Founded in 2016 by Charles Preston, usecure specialises in human risk management tools designed for managed service providers (MSPs) and internal IT teams. The company has grown to £3 million in annual recurring revenue without relying on venture capital — aside from a small early seed contribution from angel investor Tony Bolland.
Having built a base of 10,000 customers and more than 400,000 end-users worldwide, usecure has now closed a Series A round with Kennet Partners, a London-based growth equity firm known for backing founder-led, bootstrapped B2B SaaS businesses. The deal comes shortly after Kennet launched its £230 million Kennet VI fund to scale high-growth software companies.
Preston said the move to raise external funding reflects the rapidly shifting cybersecurity landscape, especially as AI shapes new risks and customer needs. “We could have continued to grow organically but we want to deliver the best-in-class product faster — and working with Kennet allows us to do that,” he said.
With the cybersecurity and MSP markets forecast to double in size by 2030, usecure plans to expand its team, deepen its product capabilities and strengthen its partner support network to stay ahead of evolving threats.
Commenting on the deal, Alex Taylor-Harris, director at Kennet Partners, said: “Charles and his team have built an efficient, partner-first business tackling a real and growing challenge. We’re excited to support them in scaling globally and becoming a leader in human risk management.”
Financial terms of the Series A round were not disclosed.
AI Fintech Abound Posts Major Profit Milestone as Revenue More Than Doubles
Abound, a London-based fintech focused on AI-driven lending, has reported a significant jump in both revenue and profit for the year ending February 2025, underlining strong demand for alternatives to traditional credit checks.
The company’s revenue rose to £66.8 million, up from £26.6 million the previous year, while net profit climbed from £300,000 to £7.5 million — a 25-fold increase in just 12 months. The firm says this performance reflects growing traction for its open banking and AI-based credit technology, which reviews customers’ bank transaction data rather than relying solely on conventional credit scores.
Founded in 2020 by Michelle He and Gerald Chappell, Abound aims to reach borrowers who are often overlooked by mainstream banks. Alongside its direct-to-consumer lending, the company also licenses its AI engine, Render, to other lenders across Europe.
The fintech has now arranged over £900 million in loans and recently secured a further £250 million lending facility from Deutsche Bank, adding to its total debt backing of £1.6 billion from global players like Citi and Waterfall Asset Management.
Abound’s early path to profitability, becoming profitable within three years, sets it apart in the UK fintech space, where sustainable margins are under increasing investor scrutiny. The company was recently picked for the Tech Nation Future Fifty programme and its founders met with the Prime Minister at Downing Street as part of that recognition.
As the wider sector adjusts to higher interest rates and pressure for clearer profit pathways, Abound’s results highlight how AI and open banking can help reshape traditional lending models — and position the firm as one to watch as it continues to scale its technology across the market.
Matthew Price Appointed CEO at Hoseasons Parent Company Awaze
Holiday rentals group Awaze, the parent company behind Hoseasons, has confirmed Matthew Price as its new chief executive. Price, who had been serving as interim CEO since January, steps up from his previous role as group chief financial officer.
Price brings extensive experience in both finance and general management, having held senior positions at listed firms including Global Fashion Group SA and MoneySuperMarket.com. His wider background spans roles at Costa Coffee, Sodexo and Sainsbury’s, with a focus on consumer and online businesses in the UK and abroad.
Commenting on his permanent appointment, Price said he looked forward to building on the progress made over the past six months. “Our size, scale and continued investment in technology and CRM are helping guests find the right break at the right price more easily than ever, while delivering strong results for our owner partners in a tough market,” he said.
Awaze’s finance team will continue to be led by Sharla Singh in the interim while the search for a permanent CFO is underway.
Daniel Madden and Malik Vorderwuelbecke, managing directors at Platinum Equity, which owns Awaze, said they were pleased to see Price take the top job permanently, adding that his leadership is already having a positive impact as the company enters its next phase of growth.
Dutch SaaS Firm Leadinfo Buys UK Rival CANDDi to Strengthen European Reach
In a move to broaden its foothold in the UK market, Rotterdam-headquartered Leadinfo has acquired Manchester-based lead tracking firm CANDDi. The deal brings together two companies focused on helping businesses convert anonymous website visits into qualified B2B leads.
CANDDi, founded in 2011 by Tim Langley, has established itself in the UK by offering tools that help companies identify, qualify, and connect with website visitors — often integrating seamlessly with popular CRM and marketing platforms. The acquisition gives Leadinfo access to CANDDi’s loyal customer base and expands its presence in one of Europe’s key B2B markets.
Founded by Han Kleppe and Quirijn Kleppe, Leadinfo currently works with over 8,000 clients across Europe, providing real-time insights into who is visiting their sites, along with tools to segment and sync data across more than 70 external platforms.
Leadinfo’s co-CEO Quirijn Kleppe said the company intends to build on the trust CANDDi has earned, ensuring continuity for its UK users while enhancing the tools available to them.
Terms of the acquisition have not been made public, but the deal is the latest sign of consolidation in the growing lead tracking and web analytics space, as firms look to scale internationally by acquiring proven players in local markets.
James Guérin Joins Embryo as Chief Commercial Officer
In leadership moves this week, Manchester-based performance marketing agency Embryo has appointed James Guérin as its new Chief Commercial Officer. Guérin steps into the role following senior commercial and growth positions at Clicky Media™ and Katté & Co, bringing experience in driving revenue growth and expanding new business pipelines.
Embryo, an independent agency founded by CEO Ross Green to tackle business challenges from new perspectives, combines SEO, paid media, web development and creative services under one roof. The firm’s in-house AI-powered technology suite, ‘Supertools’, aims to give clients a competitive edge through performance insights and automation.
With a team of 80 specialists, Embryo works with household names including The Range, Wilko, Kick Game and Homebase, supporting both fast-growing brands and established players in strengthening their digital presence.
Guérin’s appointment comes as Embryo continues to position itself as a go-to partner for companies looking to transform digital performance in a competitive market.
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